PMP381: Maximizing the Superpowers of each Individual with Jim Wichman
Jan 31, 2024
Show notes
Jim Wichman is the founder of Inspired Edification, LLC, a seasoned educational administrator with over 25 years of experience. Jim has a rich history of service in both urban and rural public school settings. Coming from a background of poverty and even experiencing homelessness, Jim is a strong advocate for centered, respectful, and value-driven education. Not just an experienced educator, Jim is also a multi-talented individual who can play the accordion, a talent that saw him travel and compete in his youth. Additionally, he is a foster parent who adopted a 3-month-old child, who is now 21. Jim’s keynote speeches have reached audiences ranging from 50 to 1,700 people across multiple states.
Listen-in to the entire conversation for inspiration and takeaways. Here’s a summary of the show notes:
Lessons in Leadership:
Be True to Your Core Values: Authenticity is essential.
Flashy Fades: Stick to what’s important, not just what’s eye-catching.
5-2-1 Method: Jim’s unique approach to decision-making and leadership.
Be Vulnerable: Authenticity can be a strength.
Discovering “Superpowers”:
Jim strongly believes that each of us has a unique talent or “superpower.” However, life events can often cloud these innate abilities.
Jim also demonstrates the power of storytelling by sharing his own journey and the ways his hometown community served and inspired him throughout life.
Topics Jim Loves:
Celebrations: Jim stresses the importance of celebrating successes and telling our own stories.
Middle School: A formative stage that he describes as “simply the best.”
Perspective: Keeping the big picture in mind.
Motivational Takeaways:
Listening to teachers can yield valuable insights.
Every interaction matters in education, encapsulated in his hashtag: #iBelieve.
How to Connect:
Listen to the entire episode for amazing takeaways! To stay connected with Jim, you can follow him on social media via @JimWichman or visit his website, Inspired Edification, LLC. For parting words of advice, Jim emphasizes, “People Matter, You Matter, It Matters.”
We hope you find inspiration and practical takeaways in today’s episode. Thank you for doing what matters!
PMP380: Dynamics of Building Leaders vs District Leaders with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke
Jan 24, 2024
Show notes
This week Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss the dynamics involved in building leadership vs district leadership. Although still a principal at heart, Jen has served in the role of Deputy Superintendent now for three years. Will asked her to reflect on the following:
What surprised her more in the transition from building leadership to central office leadership?
If she could go back and talk to herself as a principal, what advice might she now give?
How do we bridge the gap that often exists between district-level leadership and building leadership?
A few highlights include:
It can’t be us vs them if we want collective efficacy in reaching goals for all students.
Building level leadership involves enormous complexity with direct human elements. This is important for central office leaders to keep in mind as sometimes central office leaders can become more siloed in their assigned tasks.
Principals need support if they are to do the long term, sustainable work of school improvement.
The tension we feel in accountability and power dynamics, no matter what role we serve.
If we feel these gaps and tensions, how might this affect the ways our teachers see us as their leaders?
Ways to bridge the inevitable gaps that exist between leadership roles, including talking about and acknowledging the gaps as well as committing time to build relationships across the gaps.
We also discuss some takeaways from Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. You can find the book here.
Now It’s Your Turn
What are the pros and cons you have experienced in the different expectations among building-level and district-level leadership? How do you respond if working with an authority figure who is not connected or even untrustworthy?
Listen-in to the entire conversation for more takeaways. We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this topic. Thank you again for doing what matters!
PMP379: Systems Leader vs People Leader with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke
Jan 17, 2024
Show notes
In this week’s episode, Jen Schwanke and Will Parker discuss the difference between systems leadership and people leadership. Here’s a quick summary: Leaders need to understand both. As one of Jen’s advisors told her, “If there is no route for the bus, it doesn’t really matter what people are on it.”
In other words, we often are told in leadership that “it’s all about the people.” This is only true if we support those people with systems, processes, policies and accountability measures that work. A “people only” approach implies a meritocracy– that districts/principals who recruit a certain type of person will have a better organization. Unfortunately, then we spend too much time addressing how people perform and how they feel rather than addressing the complex system issues that affect their performance and their feelings
W. Edwards Deming’s 95/5 rule was an industrial workplace philosophy that taught 95% of our focus should be on systems, and 5% on people. In education, we know we are in the people business so that philosophy is an apples to apples comparison. We all know that people are much more impactful than 5% (take a toxic teacher who leaves, for instance, the positive effect that has on teacher and student morale). However, we need to pay attention to systems and not assume the right people would eliminate the problem
Systems take time to change—Sometimes years
Systems are so interconnected, too
So principals: If you have a big problem, look at the system AND the people.
Listen to the entire episode for takeaways on how the focus on systems may be applied to drop-offs, medical forms, purchase orders, substitute teachers, tardy/attendance procedures, and first-responder protocols.
Also, we reference research discussed on how one study shows a majority of teacher’s perceive their opinions not being valued by their leaders. You can hear that discussion in a previous episode, PMP372: The Power of Principal Mindfulness with Dr. Rob Russell and Dr. Dustin Miller.
Finally, we discuss the difference between strategic, operational, tactical leadership from interview with Colonel Brad Ruttman, episode 222.
Please let us know your thoughts, and thank you for doing what matters!
PMP378: Surfing the Crest of New Waves with Mark Geraets
Jan 10, 2024
Show notes
Mark Geraets, is an education leader with a career spanning 40 impactful years. Born in New Zealand as the youngest of seven to Dutch immigrant parents, Mark’s university education journey began at 16, as the youngest student at Teacher’s College. By 30, he assumed his first principal role in Whakatane, NZ. Venturing abroad, he taught in Bangladesh, deepening his love for travel and the International Baccalaureate education system. This passion led him to the International School of Basel, where he spent 12 years. Later, Mark revitalized Scots Independent School in Australia, transforming its enrollment and finances. Currently, the Head of Senior and Deputy Principal at Fintona in Melbourne, Mark anticipates a well-deserved retirement soon. Alongside his wife Yvonne, a former teacher, they’ve shared adventures across diverse education systems. As Mark reflects on his vast experiences, he’s especially excited about his newfound role: as a new grandfather.
Mark has worked in several careers and countries. Before education, he was a butler and worked at a psychiatric hospital. As a Deputy Principal of an all-girls school, he is inspired by the ways his students and teachers create learning opportunities, especially with engagement from alumni for support. He has the pleasure of bringing his dog, Fabio, to work to help students find joy.
Over the years, he has found some constants in education:
Students need to feel they are important, cared for, have opportunities to succeed, and can make a difference.
“Finding your spark of genius” is a catchphrase Mark learned while working in South Korea. This idea has served him well as a motivation for student learning.
When counseling younger administrators, he cautions them to “make haste slowly.” Talk, talk, talk…to students and the community.
When asked to share a failure story, Mark related how in his first assignment as an administrator, he tried to implement curriculum changes to include more differentiation. The idea was sound, but the implementation left out the input and buy-in of his teachers. As a result, he apologized and began over.
Other advice he gives includes:
Be kind to yourself. Take time for fitness, eat well, and have fun. If it’s not right, move on. Celebrate successes along the way.
For new or aspiring leaders, he adds:
Be aware of the imposter syndrome, and remember you are ready and can make good things happen. Have a mentor outside the organization you’re in to provide guidance and perspective.
PMP377: Conversations that Matter with Jennifer Abrams
Jan 03, 2024
Show notes
Jennifer Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant for public and independent schools, universities, and nonprofits. She trains and coaches teachers, administrators, and others on new teacher/employee support, having hard conversations, collaboration skills, and being your best adult self at work.
In her over two decades at Palo Alto Unified School District (Palo Alto, CA, USA), Jennifer was a high school English teacher, new teacher coach, and professional development facilitator. She left PAUSD in 2012 to start her full-time communications consultancy in which she works with schools and organizations across the globe.
Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicating, Collaborating & Creating Community and Hard Conversations Unpacked – the Whos, the Whens and the What Ifs, Swimming in the Deep End: Four Foundational Skills for Leading Successful School Initiatives, and her newest book, Stretching Your Learning Edges: Growing (Up) at Work.
Jennifer has been recognized as one of the “21 Women All K-12 Educators Need to Know” by Education Week’s ‘Finding Common Ground’ blog. She considers herself a “voice coach,” helping others learn how to best use their voices – be it collaborating on a team, presenting in front of a group, coaching a colleague, or supervising an employee.
Jennifer has worked for decades of work in classrooms, schools, and with leaders. When facing a difficult conversation, she shares why it is important to understand the motivation for why a conversation should (or should not) happen.
She breaks down hard conversations into three areas: Get Clear, Craft, and Communicate. In her lessons on ‘Get Clear”, she explains why it is important to get to a place of feeling ready and comfortable in order to share what needs to be said.
In her lessons on “craft,” she explains why we should focus on understanding specific behaviors, understanding our own thoughts, and offering suggestions for fixing problems.
Then, she breaks down the practical suggestion of making a plan or creating a script for hard conversations.
In this book, she probes several important questions. How do we:
want to level up and stretch ourselves?
want to be more inclusive in our thinking, our communications, and our actions?
want to engage more deeply in our conversations around equity, diversity, and belonging?
want to commit to changing the system for the ‘betterment of humanity’ through work on developing ourselves?
She states, “Through the study of five key facets for individual and collective development we can learn to be bigger and better versions of ourselves as leaders, collaborative team members, and educators.”
Throughout our conversation, we quote works from several sources, including authors like Carol Dweck (interviewed recently by Guy Kawasaki on his podcast Remarkable People), Michael Fullan, Timothy Elmore, and the podcast Hidden Brain by Shankar Vadantam.
You can connect with Jennifer Abrams, her resource, and professional learning opportunities through her website: https://jenniferabrams.com/
PMP376: Year in Review – Where Are You Growing? with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke
Dec 27, 2023
Show notes
In this week’s episode, Will and Jen flip the mic, and Jen interviews Will about his experiences with Principal Matters as his full time work in the past six months of 2023. They discuss the emotional ups and downs of the new work, the stats from the previous year, and lessons learned in goal setting and creating systems: Will begins by sharing a poem that has inspired him of late and may be helpful to other leaders who wrestle imposter syndrome or accepting the joy in their work: Our Deepest Fear, by Marianne Williamson, from the book Return to Love “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear in that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Here are some other discussions from the episode What do you do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis with Principal Matters? Will talks about: Executive coaching Grow Academies Masterminds Keynote events November example: 20 events (17 of them virtual, 3 of them in-person conferences) You can learn more about all these offerings here. What’s new and growing? Principal Matters Associates Contributing writers for extra content in the weekly newsletter. Summer/Fall 2023 Stats Review Principal Matters ongoing Virtual Trainings As of 11/10/23: 141 leaders via 11 virtual Principal Matters PD groups and executive coaching members In-Person PD: 1,400+ in-person interactions Guest virtual appearances: Listeners on other podcasts with Frederick Buskey on the Assistant Principal Podcast; the NASSP Ignite+ Series; The Schoolhouse302 with TJ Vari, Joseph Jones; and Apptegy School CEO podcast guest appearances & hundreds of guest virtual interactions Total: 2,000+ leaders in trainings online or in-person Principal Matters podcast data 1,365,810 downloads as of 11/10/23 475,316 downloads this year to date 11/10/23 30,000-40,000 downloads a month 10,000 a week 2,500+ or more leaders on average a month Total of above trainings/interactions + podcast listeners: 4,600+ leader interactions These leaders represent school communities that range from hundreds to thousands. Let’s say each leader represents 300 students, to be modest in an estimate. All of these interactions may equal approximately 1.38 million students whose leaders are being influenced by the work we are collectively doing! Podcast Sponsorships We also want to thank the sponsors who have supported our podcast this past year, including: Apptegy/School CEO DigiCoach Peer Driven PD Summer Pops Math Workbooks Bonus: IXL Learning (coming in 2024) 2023 Podcast Guests Finally, we are so grateful for the 41 podcast guests from 2023 (3 of them with Jen as host). Our guests were highlighted in 31 episodes this past year while Will and Jen shared on 21 episodes. Below is a list of those shows from 2023: PMP375: “She Leads” with Rachael George and Jen Schwanke PMP374: Accelerating Student Voice with Dr. James Flynn PMP372: The Power of Principal Mindfulness with Dr. Rob Russell and Dr. Dustin Miller PMP 371: Simplicity in Leadership Does Not Equal Easier with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP370: Middle School Superpowers with Phyllis Fagell PMP369: Connecting Through Conversation with Erika Bare and Tiffany Burns PMP368: Buildership with Robyn Jackson and Jen Schwanke PMP367: Head and Heart, A Principal’s Tools with Jen Schwanke PMP366: Navigating Leadership Drift with Cale Birk PMP365: Likable Leadership with Lisa Parry PMP364: Not Missing Out on Your Best Kept Secrets with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP363: Building Stronger Authentic Relationships with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP362: Be The Driving Force with Dr. Don Parker PMP361: Coaching Questions for Leaders with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP360: Creating Resilience in Learning and Leadership with Cheryl Step PMP359: Building Trust & Thriving as an Assistant Principal with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP358: Inspired to Be Faithful with Timothy Alexander PMP357: Leading Your Hometown School with John Boyd PMP356: Escaping the Black Hole of Urgency with Dr. Frederick Buskey PMP355: Using Reflective Questions with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP354: Questions on Allocation of Support with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP353: How to Provide Meaningful Feedback in Observations with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker PMP352: Grow Your Leadership with the Palo Alto High School Admin Team PMP351: Understanding How to Serve Generations with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke PMP350: T.E.A.M: Together Everyone Achieves More with Bryan Miltenberg & Gary Karlson PMP349: Helping Graduates Be Life Ready with Jarrod Johnson PMP348: Staying on the Path with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke PMP347: Becoming Better Leaders with Robyn Hamasaki PMP346: Equity for Multilingual Learners, Part 2 with Carlene Thomas PMP345: Equity for Multilingual Learners with Carlene Thomas PMP344: Refocusing When Exhausted with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke PMP343: Supporting Resilience with Dr. Brooke Tuttle PMP342: Never Stop Learning with Dr. Nick Davies PMP341: The Power of Shared Leadership with Cissy Goodridge and Deirdre Timusk PMP340: Prioritizing Work with Dr. Scott Beck PMP339: Digging Deeper into the 3 R’s with Will Parker & Jen Schwanke PMP338: Supporting RTI with Jen Schwanke & Will Parker PMP337: Helping Leaders Improve Wellbeing with Dr. Helen Kelly PMP336: Lessons in Influencing Change with Pete Dunlap PMP335: Branding & Marketing Your Schools with Tyler Vawser and Britanny Keil PMP334: Questions on Student Behavior with Jen Schwanke PMP333: Understanding ChatGPT with Naheed Bardai PMP332: Transformational Leadership with Joshua Spikes PMP331: How to Help Others Grow with Mary Beth Bowling and Amy Nall, Part 2 PMP330: How to Help Others Grow with Mary Beth Bowling and Amy Nall PMP329: How do you set and reach goals? with Jen Schwanke PMP328: Peer Driven PD with Michael Alpert PMP327: Candid Conversations about Education with Dr. Eric H. Tornfelt PMP326: The 7 Levels of Intimacy in Leading with Jason Jedamski PMP325: How Do Others See Me? Listener Questions with Dr. Jen Schwanke Finally, Will and Jen also talk about goal setting and systems — how your outcomes are a direct result of the systems you’ve created. If you don’t like the outcomes, how can you rebuild the systems? Free LifeScore Assessment Will also shares a free LifeScore Assessment tool he uses each year for looking back and moving forward and can be found here. The post PMP376: Year in Review – Where Are You Growing? with Will Parker and Jen Schwanke appeared first on Principal Matters.
PMP375: She Leads with Dr. Rachael George and Dr. Jen Schwanke
Dec 20, 2023
Show notes
A few quick words from Will Parker: Hi, Friends! You’re going to be listening to an interview hosted by Jen Schwanke with our guest, Rachel George, the author of the book, She Leads: The Woman’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership, co-authored with Majalise Tolan. You’re going to love this conversation about Rachel’s background in firefighting as well as your powerful feedback on how to manage the stress of leadership. She and Jen also talk about the unique challenges of women in leadership.
This episode will be coming out during the holiday season, so I want to also wish you all the best as you celebrate with family and friends as you step into the New Year. 2023 has been an unbelievable year for the Principal Matters community. The podcast now boasts more than 1.3 million downloads. This year hundreds of leaders have participated in virtual Principal Matters Grow Academies, Mastermind offerings, and executive coaching, and I’ve been able to connect with hundreds more through in-person conferences and professional development. Next week, we will share a Year in Review episode with some thoughts on your own goal setting. As you look at next year, if you’re interested in growing together through any of our offerings, please reach out at will@williamdparker.com or go to the website at williamdparker.com and click on the services link.
A big thank you to Dr. Jen Schwanke for hosting this week’s episode, and thank you again for doing what matters! – WP
She Leads with Rachael George and Jen Schwanke
This week Jen Schwanke hosts an interview with Rachel George, a former firefighter turned education leader! From fighting wildland fires with the U.S. Forest Service to putting out fires in the classroom, education was the last place that Rachael thought she’d end up. It wasn’t until a hard conversation with a base manager in Grangeville, Idaho did Rachael realize she needed to put her chainsaw down and make a bigger impact on the world. Rachael is a member of the ASCD Emerging Leaders Class of 2015 and currently serves as the Executive Director of Elementary Programs and pre-k principal in the Oregon Trail School District.
She is the past principal of Sandy Grade School and during her seven years there, they moved from being one of the lowest-ranked elementary schools in the state of Oregon to performing in the top 20% of elementary schools. Sandy Grade School has been recognized by the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) as a Model School for closing the achievement gap. Prior to serving as an elementary principal, she was a middle school principal of an “outstanding” and two-time “Level 5: Model School” as recognized by the State of Oregon. Rachael specializes in curriculum development, and instructional improvement as well as working with at-risk students and closing the achievement gap.
Listen to the entire episode for great takeaways. Here is a summary of the conversation:
Talking to Dr. Rachael George is like talking to a type of Principal Whisperer. In this episode, Rachael explains how her journey has turned her into a woman who believes in children, leadership, education, and instruction— but also someone who believes in taking care of herself and the people she loves. Years ago, before becoming an educator, she worked for the U.S. Forest Service fighting wildfires. She stepped away from that job because she knew she wanted to make a big impact on the world. She can identify several similarities between forest work and school leadership, one of which is the need to figure out how to overcome the barriers placed before her.
What is the best way to lead a school and manage those barriers? Dr. George and Jen talk about the importance of empowering others rather than doing their work for them or taking the burden away from them. This approach is enhanced by the additional layer of being a female in leadership. This is a topic Rachael has thought a lot about, even pairing up with Majalise Tolan to co-author a book, She Leads: The Woman’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership.
The book captures the voices of women of many different backgrounds and experiences, coming away with a primary lesson: We are not alone. There are hidden power structures of which we should be aware, and some of the unique gifts women have to make them especially attuned to successful leadership, but we must practice self-awareness and self-care in order to be at our very best. These concepts are also addressed in Rachael’s other book, titled Principaled: Navigating the Leadership Learning Curve, which she co-authored with Kate Barker and Kourtney Ferrua.
Rachael is connected to her own learning, and in this episode, she shares several authors and resources she uses to keep learning and growing. She recognizes that principals face significant and increasing challenges, but has a few tricks up her sleeve to make it manageable and keep perspective. Her path has been meandering and she has faced significant challenges, but she has worked hard to hang on to her joy, her positivity, and her mind to continue leading.
You can connect with Rachael via email here: rachael.george00@gmail.com.
Thank you for learning together this week, and for doing what matters!
PMP374: Accelerating Student Voice with Dr. James Flynn
Dec 13, 2023
Show notes
Dr. James Flynn has been a teacher, coach, Assistant Principal, Principal of the Grades 3-6 Intermediate School in Burlington City, Principal of Burlington City High School, and is currently the Director of Planning/Research, Evaluation, Operations, and State and Federal Programs for the Burlington City School District, Burlington, New Jersey. Jim’s principal practice included a number of Student Voice initiatives and his research study and dissertation was titled “High School Principal’s Perception and Experience with Student Voice and Youth-Adult Partnerships.” Jim recently presented a session at the NASSP’s Ignite Conference in Denver titled, “Foster Agency, Advocacy, and Citizenship through Student Voice and Youth-Adult Partnerships.” Jim has run 9 New York City marathons.
For his dissertation, he interviewed 10 high school principals across the nation, including in California, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Each of them leads strong programs for encouraging student voice. As a result, Jim coined the phrase “Educational Leadership Efficacy” and identifies strong principals as those who trust students and empower them to work within the school and community with ideas they own and deliver.
In addition, Jim shares takeaways for leaders to keep in mind, including:
Listening to students and staff by intentionally and actively creating advisory committees, and allowing other educators to have student advisories.
Allowing students to implement their ideas beyond the school into the community and world.
Breaking down the barriers of power and control from a top-down approach to shared leadership, including with students.
Expanding boundaries by including the National Honor Society, Student Council, as well as diverse communities for inclusion of all student voices.
PMP373: Increasing Your Impact with Donna Hayward
Dec 06, 2023
Show notes
Donna Hayward began her professional career as a high school mathematics teacher after earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Smith College. Inspired by her own high school principal, Donna completed her Sixth Year through UCONN and served as Assistant Principal/ Principal of Rocky Hill High School for a decade. During this time, she markedly increased Advanced Placement opportunities and standardized test scores and reduced discipline, leading to her presentation of effective strategies at the State’s annual data conference and the NASSP’s national conference. She was honored as Connecticut Assistant Principal of the Year in 2006.
Donna then served as Principal of Suffield High School for six years, during which time she opened a new Agriscience center and led her school to exceed prior academic performance in all areas. She now serves as Principal of Haddam Killingworth High School which earned the National Blue Ribbon in her fourth year. Donna was named the CT Principal of the Year in 2022 and is the NASSP’s National Principal of the Year for 2023.
From this platform, she has advocated for educators in Washington, DC, and across the country to elevate educators and public education, secure more mental health support for young people, protect teachers and administrators from defamation on social media, and support women in leadership.
Episode Highlights
Building Familial Culture: Dive deep into the heart of Donna’s school community and its fervor for fostering a family-like environment.
Mentorship & Networking: Donna reflects on the wisdom of her mentor, Mike Buckley, and the significance of networking for principals.
The Art of Beginning Again: Donna emphasizes the essence of resilience and the constant evolution in education.
Listening Deeply: Leaders, Donna believes, should be active listeners – understanding the driving factors behind words and actions.
Courageous Inspection: A candid look at how schools and leaders can continually assess, grow, and celebrate successes.
Shared Leadership Challenges: Donna’s experiences in Washington, D.C., and South Korea showcase the universality of challenges and the importance of collective advocacy.
Final Words: Donna wraps up with a powerful message, “We have to be all in – recognizing our collective power for nurturing students.”
PMP372: The Power of Principal Mindfulness with Dr. Rob Russell and Dr. Dustin Miller
Nov 29, 2023
Show notes
In this week’s episode, Dr. Jen Schwanke hosts an episode interviewing Drs. Rob Russell and Dustin Miller, with lessons from a recent article they authored on The Power of Principal Mindfulness.
Rob Russell, Ed. D., is an assistant principal at New Albany High School in New Albany, Ohio. He is a former science teacher. His research focuses on understanding the relationship between leadership decision-making and school culture.
Dustin Miller, Ph. D., is an assistant professor of clinical educational studies and director of the Ed.D in Educational Administration at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is a former principal and English teacher. His research focuses on principal professional learning and crisis leadership.
Listen to the entire conversation for great takeaways. Below is a summary of their conversation with Jen Schwanke and a link to their article, Being a More Mindful Principal, featured in ASCD’s Education Leadership that sets the stage for their discussion.
Summary of the show:
This podcast episode will give Principal Matters something to think about— your own thinking!
Several years ago, Dr. Rob Russell, an assistant principal in Central Ohio, entered his doctoral program at The Ohio State University wondering about the importance of principal mindfulness. Dr. Dustin Miller, who oversees the Ed.D. program at The Ohio State University and served as Rob’s advisor, joined him in developing and analyzing his research. They both wanted the idea of mindful leadership to transfer into applicable takeaways to the practitioners in the field—current and aspiring principals— while also being based on strong quantitative research. At the root of their work was the question of how mindfulness can improve the principal experience— both personally and with the relationships they have with others at their school.
Their conclusions, published in the October 2023 Educational Leadership magazine, outline the power of mindful leadership and explain how principals can intentionally become more mindful— first, by actively practicing awareness and reflection techniques, and second, by using deliberate, thoughtful questioning to build mindfulness in others. Using a survey of over 200 educators, who weighed in on their perceptions of their principal’s mindfulness capabilities, Rob and Dusty found that educators often do not need to get exactly what they want, but they do want their principal to hear them and, as Rob says, “to be taken seriously.” Valuing the perspective of others is part of a commitment to mindfulness.
As an extra bonus, mindful leadership can be a helpful tool in influencing positive mindsets, interactions, and responses throughout a school. Principals have a great deal of power to build their own confidence, improve their own leadership, and support student learning—but they can also use mindfulness to provide this same growth with their teachers and students. In the end, a mindful principal will lead a building that is a positive place to work, learn, and grow.
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